Papandreou Suggests Vote on U.S. Bases

ATHENS — Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said Sunday he will call a referendum on the presence of U.S. military bases in Greece if Washington asks to retain them after a current agreement expires in December, 1988.

Under the 1983 accord, Washington maintains four major military installations and about 20 minor ones in Greece in return for providing Athens with $500 million in credits.

Papandreou told Parliament that his government has made no commitment on the bases. He added, “I want to emphasize that the negotiations will start from scratch as if America were requesting bases for the first time.”